


Not On Date Night

by grootmorning



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Date Night, F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Minor Violence, can be taken as au or future!fic, written for the kastle fic/art exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-24 23:26:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14964239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grootmorning/pseuds/grootmorning
Summary: There's only so much Frank is willing to put up with on date night. Maybe once, but definitely not twice.





	Not On Date Night

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Kastle fic/art exchange and I got sarma's beautiful art [here](http://sarma.tumblr.com/post/168787647349) to write a fic for. I hope I did it justice :)

Karen slipped into her customary heels before grabbing her purse and Frank's hand, rushing them out of her apartment.

"What's the hurry?"

"Don't you have reservations?" Karen fished around in her purse for her keys, dropping his hand as he waved her keys in her face. She watched as Frank locked her door, before turning slowly to take her hand again and strolling towards the elevator. "We're going to be late."

"The world won't end just because we're five minutes late, Karen," his low voice on the syllables of her name gave her a small shiver, as it usually did, so she took a moment to really look at him.

Karen was already late by the time he'd shown up at her door to pick her up so she didn't have a chance to really look at him yet.

"Castle, you clean up good."

The small smirk he wore on his face only accentuated the dark sports coat he had on over a proper shirt. 

"Where on earth did you get a tie?" She tugged at it experimentally.

"What makes you think I don't have ties?"

"Vigilante justice doesn't really need groundbreaking fashion to achieve it, does it?"

"Ya think I just hang around in black shirts and armour everyday, huh?"

Karen shrugged, "Wouldn't be wrong six out of seven days to be honest."

There was silence, and Karen grinned as they stepped onto the elevator. "Admit it, I'm right." She nudged him a little in the side with an elbow. But not too hard. She knew by experience that using force when it came to Frank was more likely to hurt her than him.

Frank harumphed as the doors opened again and they stepped out. There really was no other word for it. The loud and fast exhale of air accompanied by a low grunt, almost old man like. The giggle that escaped her was almost involuntarily. Frank's fond look at her was definitely so.

Suddenly, the cool breeze that greeted them as they stepped out of her building was spoilt by the loud wolf whistle directed at her from across the street.

Karen's head snapped up instantly. Oh, she knew the group that had came from. They always hung out around the bodega across the street, not doing anything illegal really, so they couldn't be faulted for anything. But they did enough.

Her grip on Frank's hand tightened instantly, holding him there, by her. It was on instinct. Some part of her knew that if she didn't do so, he'd be across the street in an instant, doing one of the thing he did best. 

His entire posture had tightened up, his face a mask of emotionless neutrality that she knew was masking growing anger. 

 _What were they thinking really?_ They must have been high or drunk to be targeting her with Frank by her side. Even random strangers knew to give her a wide berth whenever she was out with Frank. His pleasant personality always pushed people away.

"Frank - ," she whispered. "It's not worth it."

He took one step towards them and the raucous laughter that ensued was quick. It was one man against five. They had nothing to fear. Or so they thought. Karen and most of the crime syndicates in Hell's Kitchen knew better.

"Ma'am." He'd slipped back into Punisher mode. "It'll only take me five minutes."

"It's five minutes we don't have," she struggled to keep her voice even. "Let it go. They'll be gone before we even get back. There's a fancy dinner and sparkling conversation waiting for us." She tugged just a little bit harder, pulling him away to look at her.

The mask cracked a bit. She saw Frank. 

She took a step away from there, drawing him away. One step, another. Karen got him to move, and the Punisher within to recede.

The harsh grip on her hand loosened and Karen let loose a deep sigh of relief. 

Not for him. Mostly for the five boys across the street who didn't know that a guardian angel just saved their asses. 

"Now tell me about the place you got us reservations at."

-

It was a cool night and Karen stepped closer to Frank as they strolled back to her apartment. His arm that slipped around her shoulders was warm and she burrowed closer to him.

"Thank you for dinner," she pressed a kiss just under his jaw, where he liked it. The growing stubble tickled her lips, and she found that she liked the feeling too.

He responded by pressing a kiss to her forehead and Karen felt a smile turning up the corners of her lips just by reflex alone. She was really gone for him, she was. It was ridiculous. "Thank you for sparkling conversation."

To have this, to have him, to have a semi-normal date in public; Karen could hardly comprehend it. Wrapping slender fingers around his tie, she pulled at it, dragging him down to her level (not by much, but enough) for another kiss. A real one, this time. 

She could feel Frank's smirk on her lips as he kissed her, holding her to him with a firm hand on her lower back. Her knees felt weak, as they always did when she was kissing him, and she wondered if this feeling of bliss every time they shared a moment would ever go away. 

A gust of cold wind broke them apart and they laughed, resuming their walk. 

They walked in companionable silence, one that was only broken by the tap-tapping of Karen's heels.

And then another wolf whistle.

Karen cringed, squeezing her eyes shut.  _Not again_. Once was enough, she wasn't sure if she could stop Frank a second time.

This time, they were closer. On their side of the street just one stoop away from her apartment. She wasn't sure if she had the worst luck in the world or if they did. But for Frank, it probably was about to turn into a very satisfactory night. 

She had to try anyway. Her hand slipped from his grasp to wrap around his arm instead, "Frank, don't."

"I'm not going to let this go again, Karen."

"You really don't have to."

Frank opened his mouth to retort again but he was interrupted by a shout of "One man ain't enough for you, baby, we've got five here that might help you tonight."

He looked back at her with a raised eyebrow and waited. 

In their peripheral view, one of the young men unbuckled his belt and flashed them as the rest laughed uproariously.  _Public indecency_ , Karen thought, r _eally? Wasn't that just the icing on the cake._

A loud gasp from across the street made them turn, and Karen's insides sank as she watched a young mother cover the eyes of her young daughter, hurrying away into their building.  _Oh, what the fuck._

Frank was still looking at her expectantly. He tilted his head towards them, waiting for her. 

She sighed, "Yeah, okay."

Frank dropped her hand instantly, his own curling into ready fists. 

"Maybe don't kill them though."

He snorted, "In front of your house? You know me better than that."

"You've got ten minutes."

"Ma'am, I won't even need three."

 _That was probably true_ , Karen watched as he stalked towards them. They really didn't know what they were in for. Frank's fists were a blur, his speed and skill unmatched by five boys, high on something. They tried though, kudos to them, but really they were weak blows that simply glanced off his back or arms.

They never even made it close to his face. Probably didn't even see him coming. 

Before the time was up, they were already prone on the ground, groaning and clutching at internal injuries that would put them out of commission for awhile. 

Karen stepped closer, already cataloguing her ever-present first-aid kit to make sure she had what she needed to treat Frank's 'injuries'. She didn't need much, just some salve for his raw knuckles and maybe a bandage or two. Probably not even the bandages. This was easy compared to what Frank faced on a normal basis

She dropped a kiss onto his knuckles, turning to walk back to her apartment. 

But then a movement out of the corner of her eye had her stepping onto an errant hand with her heel without another thought, making him drop the switchblade he'd just belatedly pulled out.  _Was he serious_ , she wondered,  _he'd just gotten his ass whupped but was still trying to stick them while lying bleeding on the ground._ Apparently, young men made really bad choices in this day and age.

When she looked back up, the expression of pride Frank was wearing was ridiculous and she didn't hesitate to tell him so. But that didn't make it fade at all.

He took one last look at the ragtag crew on the ground, muttering, "Maybe next time, don't bother Miss Page on date night." Frank rubbed at his knuckles before he stepped around the last one and pulled Karen towards home.

"My hero," she said in a high pitched falsetto, laughing a little as he shot her an exasperated glance.

"You know how I feel about that word," he swung their linked hands a little. "And don't think I didn't see you smile as you stepped on his hand, Miss Page."

Karen shrugged. What was the point of denying it? She had done it for the small kernel of satisfaction that at least the idiots would think twice before flashing someone else. And maybe other children would be spared the sight. "I learn from the best."

They stepped into the elevator. Acting on impulse, Karen walked her cold fingers up his chest and tilted his face towards her. "I seem to have worked up a bit of an appetite." She felt hot all over, and there was that little bit of adrenaline in her veins, driving her.

His grin was wicked and he crowded her against one elevator wall, dropping his face towards her neck. Mouthing at her skin slowly, he rolled his shoulders, feeling Karen's hands slipping around his waist. 

"What a shame, me too. And yet, I don't think your apartment has any food."

By some miracle, they made it out of the elevator, down the hallway and into Karen's apartment.

She dropped her purse and he shrugged out of his coat, leaving it on the ground. To hell with those.

Karen took his hands and placed it on her hips, backing them into her bedroom, dragging his face down to hers for a deep bruising kiss. For the third time that night, Karen pulled at his tie, watching as he followed her willingly. 

"I'm sure we'll think of something."

**Author's Note:**

> i was supposed to write a drabble idk what happened i think i let it get away from me a bit. but i hope you guys like :) i haven't written in awhile. also this fic/art thing was such a good idea! if you like it, holler at me.
> 
> tumblr: [here](http://ltfrankcastle.tumblr.com)  
> twitter: [here](http://twitter.com/ltfrankcastie)


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